Myanmar officer sentenced to two years for signing constitutional reform petition

Maj. Kyaw Zwar Win

We reported previously on the case of a Myanmar army officer who was being prosecuted after a photo surfaced of him signing a petition to get rid of the military's guaranteed parliamentary bloc. The latest report indicates that he has been sentenced to two years' confinement:

A court in Myanmar has jailed an army officer for two years because he signed a petition calling for constitutional reform, local media reported Saturday.

Major Kyaw Zwar Win was photographed earlier this year adding his signature to a statement calling for amendments to the country’s 2008 constitution, which guarantees unelected military officials a quarter of seats in parliament.

He was charged with disobeying a military order after the army issued a ban on anyone in its ranks from taking part in the debate over constitutional reform, Radio Free Asia reported.

No-one has been allowed to visit Kyaw Zwar Win in military prison since he was arrested in April and he was not allowed reading material, the station said on its website.

Officials in Pyin Oo Lwin in central Myanmar arrested the major after the photograph appeared online.